He watched a girl from a distance, trying to close the gap, but the more he walked, the further she seemed to fade, as if disappearing. A wave of unexplained sadness washed over him. Why am I crying?
Then, a girl stood beside him, her own tears flowing freely. Did I do something? Why can't I remember? What is she saying? Her words barely registered: "...after everything I did, you still chose her." She, too, began to fade. A sudden, powerful pull from behind dragged him downward. He was drowning, yet he could breathe, witnessing someone else's life unfold in the water—a man smiling, crying, laughing.
Emerald was abruptly shoved into a different world, a realm of pure emptiness. He looked around, seeing nothing but void. "What the fuck is happening? This isn't a dream," he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a man appeared out of nowhere, his face indistinct. "Welcome, Emerald," the man said. "I'm Alexi Hristolian."
"Why am I even here?" Emerald demanded.
"I'm simply guiding you out of your misery."
"How so?"
"Don't go with Genna. Change the future, Emerald."
"I've already been to so many places. Why doesn't it matter?" Emerald's voice was laced with doubt.
"When you wake up, Genna will be there. If you go with her, the dreams you've been seeing will tend to happen. If you tell her the truth, you can change the path, you can be free, but a price must be paid for it."
"How do you know that?"
"I'm a celestial being, that's all you need to know."
"Sir Alexi, I know the price. What if I can change a chair in it?"
"No, your parents are not the price. A man's greatest weakness is a woman, you know exactly what I'm talking about. One last thing, Emerald, you cannot decline the allure of destiny. You have two paths; choose wisely." Emerald's face contorted with worry.
Emerald jolted awake, drenched in sweat. He checked the time: 3 AM. Only two hours since he'd fallen asleep. He glanced at his records, then remembered his pending work, but to his astonishment, it was complete. He frowned, rubbed his eyes, and checked again. Still done. Taking a deep breath, he drank some water. He looked behind him and saw someone standing by the mirror. "Oh, Ms. Vampire, didn't you leave?" he asked.
This time, Genna was sporting a rather flamboyant outfit. "What's with the get-up?" Emerald asked, bewildered.
"Heh, it's normal, isn't it? Don't you wear something like this when you go out?" Genna countered playfully.
"I don't 'do' outings; I always prefer to be at home."
"Oh, come on! Let me get you something that suits you today." Genna flung open his wardrobe and grimaced. "What the hell is this? Are you even a teenager? You have no taste in fashion, no wonder you're a shut-in."
"I told you, I'm not much of a fashion or model guy. I live in my own world. I don't like the way others do; they just run behind trends and influence without giving it any thought. But I don't do that; I just live my life as I see it," Emerald replied, a hint of his usual stubbornness returning.
"Anyway, put this on and tag along. I'm going to get you something for your style. Bills on me." With that, Genna vanished. Emerald, with a sigh, tagged along.
"So, where are we?" Emerald asked as they arrived.
"Russia. Are you afraid?" Genna teased, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Why would I be afraid of a country? You're kind of picky, I guess."
"It's not like that, though; I'm a really good girl. Anyway, we're not here to chit-chat or have fun. We've got someone to meet."
"What's that supposed to mean? Am I being kidnapped or willfully directed towards danger?" Emerald asked, a touch of alarm in his voice.
"I have a friend I'd like you to meet, is that okay?"
"Seriously? We're already halfway there, you know." Emerald gave her a look, a kid worrying over her antics.
They arrived at the large estate where her friend supposedly lived. As they walked further in, Emerald observed carefully, noting the complete lack of security.
They reached the front door. Genna knocked. "Does your friend know about our little visit?" Emerald whispered to her.
"Nah," Genna replied, a slight smirk on her face.
"Isn't that rude?" Emerald pressed, but Genna just offered him a creepy smile.
Suddenly, the door opened. "Your Highness, what brings you here? And I presume you're Emerald. Rude to keep you standing there, come in," a man said, welcoming them inside. He then called out to someone else within the estate.
"I'm Antonio of House Caztel, by the way," the man introduced himself to Emerald.
"Anyway, why did you call her 'Highness'? Is she a princess or something?" Emerald asked, gesturing towards Genna.
"You never told him, not a word?" Antonio asked Genna, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Nah, I just forgot it," Genna replied casually.
Emerald's eyes widened. "What? You forgot to tell me?"
"It's just what they used to call me when we were kids. They just use that to mock me, that's all. That's a story for another time, kid," Genna said, waving it off.
Antonio, ever the gracious host, steered them towards a more comfortable conversation area, serving tea and snacks. As the talk progressed, Emerald found his attention drawn to the striking paintings he'd noticed in the hallways upon entering.
Emerald excused himself and wandered off to admire the artworks. As he gazed at each piece, a young woman approached him and began to explain, "A 1500s piece, owned by a duke from the French country, crafted with the bones and blood of a man and a woman."
Emerald didn't flinch, simply continuing to gaze at the piece.
He moved to the next artwork, and the woman followed, resuming her detailed explanations. After several minutes of this unsettling art commentary, Emerald finally spoke. "Please don't take this as rude, but I don't know a thing about art, and I don't know who you are, madam. If my presence in this mansion is rude, I'll take my leave."
"Rubella Caztel, Lady of the House," the woman replied with a soft smile. "Don't be a kid, Sir Emerald. You're our dear guest, whom Madam Genna even admires."
Emerald walked further into the garden and sat on a bench. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding," he said. "If it's okay, can you tell me about the Genna you know?"
"Why ask? Don't you know her?" Rubella inquired.
"I don't know her that much; it's only been a week or two since I met her."
"A week? That's surprising. Then she must have quite a strong liking for you."
"Nah, she's just hanging around. I don't even know if she's going to find somebody like me to her liking," Emerald said with a straight face.
"She and Antonio are from the royal lineage," Rubella revealed.
"Royal? What's that supposed to mean?" Emerald was now fully hooked.
"Unlike you, who became a vampire by having a vampire's blood in your system before death—which is a normal transformation, and the body you attain will be a mass of dead meat—the royal lineage are born as vampires. They grow up to twenty-one years old, and then they remain still for eternity. The truth is, it's a curse when you are a woman. Your duty will be to create the next generation of the family, and many proposals from great families will knock at your door from the day you turn twenty-one." Rubella chuckled slightly at the end.
"So how old is Genna?" Emerald asked, his curiosity piqued.
"I think Madam Genna is around six hundred years old, but she's rejected every proposal she's received. She isn't as talkative as you might think," Rubella explained.
"So Antonio is her brother, right? Genna must be cursing me for walking out on the conversation, I guess," he said, a wave of guilt washing over his face.
"Antonio and Genna are from different families, but their roots are the same. Antonio belongs to the Caztel family; Genna is from the Embridge family. You don't need to be so worried about Genna, though. If she brought you along to see us, that means she really cares for you." Rubella offered a warm, innocent smile, yet her eyes held a vicious shade, hinting at a secret guilt she wanted to share with Emerald.
(To be continued)